{"id":674,"date":"2026-10-07T18:17:51","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T18:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/?p=674"},"modified":"2026-10-07T18:16:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T18:16:32","slug":"a-tiny-spot-that-changed-the-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/a-tiny-spot-that-changed-the-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tiny Spot That Changed the Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n

Sometimes the biggest turns in this journey come from tests that were supposed to be routine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

That\u2019s exactly what happened this time.<\/p>\n\n

After my radical prostatectomy, a baseline MRI was ordered as we prepared for the next phase of treating my Stage 4A prostate cancer.<\/p>\n\n

At that point, the plan was fairly clear: move forward with radiation and continue attacking whatever prostate cancer might still be left behind.<\/p>\n\n

The MRI was supposed to help establish that baseline.<\/p>\n\n

Instead, it found something new.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

A Tiny Spot That Changed the Plan<\/h2>\n\n

The MRI showed a small, approximately 3 mm spot inside my bladder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

Three millimeters.<\/p>\n\n

It doesn\u2019t sound like much.<\/p>\n\n

But when you\u2019ve already heard the words \u201cyou have cancer,\u201d<\/em> even a tiny unexplained spot gets your attention.<\/p>\n\n

What made it even more interesting was that I had undergone a cystoscopy just a few months earlier, before my prostatectomy, and this spot hadn\u2019t been seen then.<\/p>\n\n

So now we had another question that needed an answer.<\/p>\n\n

Was it bladder cancer?<\/p>\n\n

Was it somehow related to my prostate cancer?<\/p>\n\n

Was it benign?<\/p>\n\n

Or was it something else entirely?<\/p>\n\n

There was only one way to know.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

We had to look again.<\/p>\n\n\n

Back to the Urologist<\/h2>\n\n

My urologist performed another cystoscopy and confirmed that the spot was there.<\/p>\n\n

That meant another procedure.<\/p>\n\n

On September 14<\/strong>, I went back into surgery so the tissue could be removed and sent to pathology.<\/p>\n\n

It was another one of those moments in this journey when the plan suddenly stopped moving forward.<\/p>\n\n

Radiation had been mapped out. Treatment was approaching. Mentally, Sue and I were preparing ourselves to begin the next phase.<\/p>\n\n

And now we were waiting again.<\/p>\n\n

Waiting for pathology.<\/p>\n\n

Waiting for an answer.<\/p>\n\n

Waiting to find out whether another type of cancer had entered the picture.<\/p>\n\n

Cancer has taught me that sometimes the waiting is every bit as difficult as the treatment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

Then the Pathology Came Back<\/h2>\n\n

The tissue was not bladder cancer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

But it wasn\u2019t benign either.<\/p>\n\n

The pathology showed prostate cancer cells in the tissue removed from my bladder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

That wasn\u2019t the answer we were necessarily hoping for, but it was an answer.<\/p>\n\n

And answers matter.<\/p>\n\n

It also reinforced something this journey has taught me repeatedly:<\/p>\n\n

\n

\n Never make an important decision based on a single piece of information.<\/strong>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

The MRI found the spot.<\/p>\n\n

The cystoscopy confirmed it was actually there.<\/p>\n\n

Surgery allowed it to be removed.<\/p>\n\n

Pathology told us what it really was.<\/p>\n\n

Each step gave us another piece of the puzzle.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

Another Detour \u2014 But Not the End of the Road<\/h2>\n\n

Because of the bladder procedure, the start of my radiation treatments had to be pushed back slightly while I healed.<\/p>\n\n

Fortunately, it was only a short delay.<\/p>\n\n

The larger treatment plan remained intact: 39 radiation treatments along with hormone therapy<\/strong> as we continue treating my Stage 4A prostate cancer.<\/p>\n\n

So this unexpected finding didn\u2019t completely change the road we were on.<\/p>\n\n

It became another detour.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

And there have been quite a few of those.<\/p>\n\n

When Sue and I started Jonesing for the Journey, we thought our biggest adventure would be retirement and traveling in our motorhome.<\/p>\n\n

Cancer changed that.<\/p>\n\n

Now the journey includes scans, blood tests, surgeries, radiation appointments, hormone therapy and moments like this one\u2014when a routine test suddenly raises a question you weren\u2019t expecting to answer.<\/p>\n\n

But we\u2019re still moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n

\n Mile Marker\n <\/p>\n

\n Sometimes the road doesn\u2019t change completely. Sometimes it simply takes an unexpected detour. The important thing is getting the information you need, adjusting the plan and continuing forward.<\/strong>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

Why I\u2019m Sharing This<\/h2>\n\n

I\u2019m not sharing this because everyone with prostate cancer should expect the same thing to happen.<\/p>\n\n

My experience is my experience.<\/p>\n\n

Your situation may be completely different.<\/p>\n\n

I\u2019m sharing it because there is a larger lesson here that applies well beyond this one MRI.<\/p>\n\n

When something doesn\u2019t make sense, ask about it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

When a test raises another question, follow the question.<\/p>\n\n

When you\u2019re told something is probably nothing but you\u2019re uncomfortable with that answer, ask what comes next.<\/p>\n\n

And when you receive one piece of information, remember that it may only be one piece of the story<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

I\u2019ve learned that lesson more than once during this journey.<\/p>\n\n

It\u2019s why one phrase has become so important to me:<\/p>\n\n

\n

\n Ask One More Question.\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

That doesn\u2019t mean distrusting your doctors.<\/p>\n\n

I\u2019m not anti-doctor.<\/p>\n\n

I\u2019m pro-you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Be involved.<\/p>\n\n

Understand what you\u2019re being told.<\/p>\n\n

Ask what the next test is supposed to tell you.<\/p>\n\n

And don\u2019t be afraid to speak up when something doesn\u2019t feel settled.<\/p>\n\n

Sometimes that next question leads nowhere.<\/p>\n\n

And sometimes a 3 mm spot on an MRI<\/strong> changes the next several weeks of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n

Watch the Full Story<\/h2>\n\n

In the video below, I walk through the entire timeline\u2014from the baseline MRI and second cystoscopy to surgery, waiting for pathology, what we ultimately learned, and what it meant for my radiation treatment.<\/p>\n\n

\n

Watch: \u201cThe MRI Found Something… But It Wasn\u2019t What We Thought\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\n \n Watch on YouTube\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

Resources for the Journey<\/h2>\n\n

If you or someone you love is navigating prostate cancer, finding trustworthy information can become another job all by itself.<\/p>\n\n

That\u2019s why we created The Resource Map for the Journey<\/strong>\u2014to bring reputable organizations, information and support resources together in one place.<\/p>\n\n

\n \n Visit The Resource Map for the Journey \u2192<\/strong>\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n\n\n \n

\n\n

\n Continue the Journey\n <\/p>\n\n

\n What to Read Next\n <\/h2>\n\n

\n \n The Treatment\n <\/a>
\n What shutting down testosterone really meant for me.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n \n The Hormone\n <\/a>
\n ADT, radiation, and the road ahead.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n \n 90-Day Clock\n <\/a>
\n When one blood test can change the road ahead.\n <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n

\n About Mike Jones\n <\/h2>\n\n

\n Mike Jones is the creator of Jonesing For The Journey<\/em>, where he shares his first-hand experience navigating prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and patient advocacy.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n JFTJ was created to help patients and families feel better prepared to ask questions, understand the information in front of them, and take a more active role in their own journey.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n Medical Disclaimer:<\/strong> This Mile Marker reflects my personal experience as a prostate cancer patient. I am not a physician, and this is not medical advice. Testing, procedures, pathology results, radiation treatment, preparation, and side effects can vary considerably from one person and treatment center to another. Always follow the instructions provided by your own healthcare team.\n <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n

\n\n

\n This Mile Marker reflects my personal experience as a prostate cancer patient and is not medical advice. Every diagnosis, test result and treatment plan is different. Talk with your healthcare team about questions or concerns related to your individual care.<\/em>\n <\/p>\n\n<\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A baseline MRI after my radical prostatectomy was supposed to be routine. Instead, it found a tiny spot in my bladder that changed the next steps in my Stage 4A prostate cancer treatment. In this Mile Marker, I share what happened, what the pathology revealed, and why one piece of information is never the whole story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"0","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[26,109,110,112,108,107,15,111,16,106],"class_list":["post-674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mile-marker-journal","tag-ask-one-more-question","tag-bladder-spot","tag-cystoscopy","tag-mile-marker-journal","tag-mri","tag-pathology","tag-prostate-cancer","tag-radiation-treatment","tag-radical-prostatectomy","tag-stage-4a-prostate-cancer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=674"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":676,"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674\/revisions\/676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonesingforthejourney.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}